Trolley-wheel.



.W. S. GRIFFITH.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 050111913 Patented 001. 5,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Witnesses COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

W. S. GRIFFITH TROLLEY WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12. 1913.

Patented 001. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

. W w J y WILLIAMS. GRIFFITH, or, HO R; crryflrnnnsvtvmvm.

l T RoLnEY-wHEEL;

To all whom may 'rtoe1'n:

'Be itknown that 1, WILLIAM S. GRIFFITH,

' a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Homer City, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Trolley- Wheels, of which thefollowing is a s'pecifi cation.

The present invention relates to trolley wheels and harps for trolley poles, and resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following. description and falling within the scope of the'appended claims. In the drawings there has been illustrated a simple and preferred reduction of my improvement to practice, but-the important 'instrunien-talities thereof may be varied, and so it is to be understood that, such changes-may be made therein as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of'my improvement arrangedupon the trolley wire, Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the position of the harp and pole when contacted with a branchor cross wire, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a device as illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line a' a of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a detail view of the harp, one of the sides thereof being removed, Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a modifiedrform of the harp and wheel, the spring arms of the retaining members being shown in section, Fig. 7 .is a vertical sectionalIview on the line 6-6 of Fig.6, .Fig. 8 isa view of the harp, parts being'broken away, Fig. 9 is a perspective view'of-the trolley wheel, Fig. 10

is a perspective View illustrating a modified form of one of the trolley wire sustaining elements associated with the wheel and harp, Fig. 11 illustrates a still. further modified form of a sustaining element, and F ig. 12 illustrates a further modification In one of the forms of my invention, the trolley pole 1 has integrally connected therewith an. enlargedv preferably .ofiset member 2 provided with a rounded head 3,

the said head being inclinedfrom its peripherytowardthe center thereof, as 'indi-' cated by the numeral 4, andthe said head has its inner face provided with a pocket 5, the outer wall of which is circumferential,

and the inner wall of which is flat and straight. The head l'is provided with a peripheral rounded depression-6 which terminates at the juncture of-its angular face 7 s ecification of Letters htent. 5

andthe wall provided by the pocket 5; V The I H -atented0ct."5,1915. Application filedDecember 12,1913. Seria1-No.806,296.

pocket 5 is adapted to; receive one of the side-members of aitrolley wheel 7 thesaid' wheelbeing of the usual-construction and having a centralro'unded groove which is formedwith oppositely arranged angular walls whichare inclined toward the peand [opposite face of the wheel.

meralS, areadapted, when the wheel is -ar, ranged w1th1n.the-pocket,t0 provide a continuation of. the angular; surface 4 of the head 3, and the inner wall of the pocket 5 1s provided'w-ithan opening for the recep-,

tion of onerof 'the trunnions 9." which are provided upon. the opposite faces of the- Wheel .7. 1 I

The numeral 10 designates the removable side-of the-harp. This side also includes'a' rounded head 11,: which is of a size .and A shape corresponding with that' 'df the'hea'd 3, the said head 11 being provided with an annular pocket, similar-to the pocket 5, which 1s-adapted for the .reception ofthe opposite face of the trolley wheel 7.; The

flat inner Wan of the pocket is formedwith an opening 12 which provides agbearing for thesecond trunnion 9 of the wheel 7.="The removable member 10 isof a similar shape and constructlon to the integral portions 2 and '3 of thepole 1, the same havingja re duc'edportion 13 corresponding to ltheportion 2 and the said, portionl3 isprovideot with openings forthe reception of securing.

members 14: whereby the said member '10 is connected-with the pole 1. -The head 11 of the member 10 is provided with a peripheral depression 15, which is adapted to be? arranged opposite'the depression 6 in the head sion 15, which is arranged opposite its end which coincldes in shape with the 'd'epress1on.6 of the head 8.

which has itsshank 17 passing throughfa 4. The upper edge of the head 11} of the platelO 1s provlded with a roundeddepres f and the headof the boltf1 8-are provided with slots-'or-depressions 20. Adapted to be, received withinthe' said slots 'or depressions 20 are spring members '21 and 22, the same having one of their ends, connected to the heads'3 and 1.1 of the harp, through themey s 100' The numeral l8 designates a headed bolt 1 dium of straps 23. The Springs are adapted to exert a tension toward the heads 11. and 13 at the upper portions of the heads, and the free ends of the springs are adapted to be received wi hin the depressions-6 and 15 of said head. Pivotally connected with the free ends of the springs and overlying the trolley wheel. 7, are trolley-sustaining members in the nature of balls or spheres 2 1. By such an arrangement, it will be noted that the springs 2.1 and 22 prevent the rotation of the bolt 17 and the removal of the nut 19 from the said bolt. the members at being disposed directly over the wheel prevent the. said Wheel and harp accidentally jumping the trolley wire. The pressure of the springs is not, however, suilicient to prevent the trolley wheel being brought out of engagement with the trolley wire, when the wheel is drawn away from the wire by the usual rope or cable 25, the rounded surface of the said members 24 permitting the separation or spreading of the said members when a pull is exerted upon the. operating cord or cable to bring the members into contact with the feed or conducting wire. Likewise the spherical memhere will spread apart when contacted by the vertical member of a supporting clamp for the feed wire.

While in'the above description the plate 10 has been described as a detachable member, it is to be understood that the plate 2 may also be formed separate from the pole 'J'. and attached thereto, if desired. 1

In some instances it has been found desirable to construct the harp of a single element, and the said harp maybe connected with the pole or may be integrally formed therewith as desired. In such instances, the harp is of a structure substantially similar to that described, the heads 8 and 11 being provided with pockets for the reception of thetrolley .7. The heads of the harp are formed with oppositely arranged depressions 6 and 15, and with central openings similar to those within which the trunnions 9 of the wheel 7 is received. In instances where it has been found desirable or preferable to provide the wheel 7with trunnions, the inner faces of the heads 3' and 11' are provided with channels which communicate with the lower walls of the depressions 6 and 15 and with the central openings in the head -members of the harps, the said channels being designated by the numerals 26. The trunnions of the wheel, as well as the wheel proper, have a central opening 16, which is adapted for the reception of a headed bolt 17, and the bolt has a securing nut 19. Both the nut-and the head of the bolt have recesses 20, the said recesses adapted to receive springs 21 and 22, simi-. lar to the springs 21 and 22, one of the ends of each of the springs being secured to the Furthermore,

outer face of the heads of the harp, the springs exerting an inward tension to pre vent theaccidental revolution of the nut and bolt. v The springs are provided with pivotedretaining elements in the nature ofspheres 24:.

It is to'be understood that I do not desire to restrict myself to the employment of balls or spheres as retaining elements for the trolley harp, but as illustrated in Fig. lO of the "o drawings, cone-shaped members 27 may be pivotally connected with the springs if desired, or as illustrated in Fig. 11 of the drawings, the said springs may have their upper extremities provided with rounded .2-

their upper ends offset, as at 31, and pro vided with an opening '32 through which passes an element 33 that is secured to the angular portion of the spring and which also serves as a bearing for a rounded retaining member 38.

In order to bring the retaining elements away from the wire, when it is desired to lower the trolley pole, I provide the harp with a bail B, the connecting member of the bail being arranged adjacent the transverse edge or face of'the harp, the said connecting member being formed with an eye to which is secured a cable C, and the side arms of the bail are pivotally connected, as

at P to the opposite sides or faces of the harp. The side arms are arranged at a right angle to the connecting member of the bail for a suitable distance, but beyond their pivots P are rounded as at B, and terminate in a beveled edge E which is disposed approximately diametrically opposite the pivot '1 The beveled end E is formed upon the enlarged end of the rounded portion P of the bail, the said enlargement together with the beveled edge forming spreading members S, which when the cable C is forced downwardly of the harp engages between the'spring arms of the retaining elements and spreads the same to bring the rounded members out of engagement with the trolley wire and permit of the harp being lowered from the wire. The bail B is influenced by resilient elements A in the nature of pressurev springs which are secured to the opposite faces of the harp, and the limit of'the movement of the bail by the tension of the said-springs A is halted by stops 'F which are also secured upon the sides or faces of the harp and which engage with the upper edges of the bail.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device for the purpose set forth, a trolley pole provided with a harp including spaced rounded heads having rounded pockets, a trolley wheel arranged within the pockets, securing elements for the trolley wheel, springs, said springs co-acting with the securing elements for sustaining the same against movement, said springs adapted to exert a tension toward the trolley wheel, and revoluble retaining elements connected with the springs and overlying the trolley Wheel.

2. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination with a trolley wheel having a harp, said harp including oppositely disposed rounded heads having their inner faces beveled inwardly from their periphery, the said inner faces being depressed to provide pockets, a trolley wheel arranged within the pockets, securing means for retaining the wheel revoluble within the pockets, spring members secured to the heads and co-acting with the wheel sustaining means for securing the said means against displacement, the said heads having peripheral depressions, said springs adapted to exert a tension toward the trolley wheel and having their ends disposed within the peripheral depressions of the heads, and a pivoted spherical member for each of the springs and adapted to overlie the trolley wheel.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth, a trolley pole provided with a harp, spring members secured to the opposite sides'of the harp and rotatable fhembers connected with the springs and arranged over the wire receiving groove of the trolley wheel of the harp, spring pressed members pivotally connected with the harp, stops for limiting the movement of the springs in one direction, said members each having a cam associated therewith and arranged adjacent the spring members secured to the harp, and a cable for swinging the spring pressed members to bring their cam faces between the sides of the harp andthe spring members to force the spring members outwardly of the harp and the rotatable members to the opposite sides of the groove of the trolley wheel.

at. The combination with a trolley harp having a trolley wheel associated therewith, arms secured upon the opposite faces of the harp, revoluble members connected with the arms and disposed over the groove of the wheel, a bail having its armspivotally secured to the sides of the harp, said bail having a roundedend, the said end being enlarged and having its extremities beveled and arranged to engage between the arms and the opposite faces of the harp, an operating cable connected with the bail, a spring for forcing the bail in one directiomand a stop for limiting in the said direction.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. GRIFFITH.

Witnesses:

J. O. MoGREeoR, JNo. L. MoALLIs'rER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. I l

the movement of the bail 

